Cash register, accounting, and the like machines



Nov. 18, 1941. H. GELLER CASH REGISTER, ACCOUNTING, AND THE LIKEMACHINES Original Filed July 26 19:57

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Dr. Helmu t Geller Inventor y MZ/ w His Attorney Patentecl Nov. 18, 1941CASH REGISTER, ACCOUNTING, AND THE LIKE MACHINES Helmut Geller,Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany,

assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, acorporation of Maryland Original application July 26, 1937, Serial No.155,594. Divided and this application July 23, 1940, Serial No. 346,976

3 Claims.

This invention relates to cash registers, accounting machines, and othermachines having a plurality of banks of keys. This application is adivision of the application for United States Letters Patent of HelmutGeller, Serial No. 155,594, filed July 26, 1937.

During certain machine operations it is important that a key in one bankand a related key in another bank be operated each machine operation ina certain sequence.

It is an object of this invention to provide mechanism whereby relatedkeys in associated banks are caused to be operated in a certainsequence.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism for requiringthe sequential operation of the same value-representing key in each oftwo associated key banks on each machine operation.

Further objects of the invention will be pointed out in the followingdetailed description with reference to the drawing which shows apreferred form of embodiment of the invention.

Of said drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a typical keyboard having two banks of related andconnected keys.

Fig. 2 is a section through bank I of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section through bank II of Fig. 1.

General description Two key banks I and II (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) eachhaving an equal number of depressible keys are provided, each of thekeys 2!] of key bank I being operatively connected to a correspondingkey 2| of key bank II by means of a connecting link 22 hinged by a pin23 to the key and resting on the outer end of the related key 2|. A keytip 24 is fastened to each connecting piece 22, by which operatingpressure may be applied to the outer ends of the pairs of connected keys20 and 2|.

A detent 25 (Fig. 2) associated with the keys 2!) is slidably mounted onframe-supported studs 26, said detent normally being in the positionshown, but adapted to be forced upwardly, upon depression of any key 20,by the action of keysupported pins 21 on sloping surfaces 28 of thedetent, one of which surfaces is positioned in the path of each of saidpins. The upward movement of detent 25, through link 29, causesclockwise rotation of arm 30, secured to a sleeve 3| loose on shaft 32.Thus, if any key 20 of the I key bank is depressed, sleeve 3| is rotatedclockwise. Surfaces 33 are positioned under the pins 21 on theundepressed keys when the detent 25 is in the up position, preventingoperation of any other key than that first depressed.

A detent 34 (Fig. 3) slidably mounted on pins 35 in the frame of keybank II is normally in the down position and when in that position itpresents surfaces like surface 38 to each key pin, like pin 36,supported by keys 2| of key bank II preventing any such key from beingdepressed. On upward movement of the detent 34, an opening 31 ispresented to each of the pins 36, permitting depression of any key 2|. Alink 40 connects detent 34 to an arm. 4| also secured to sleeve 3|(Figs. 2 and 3), so that upon a key in key bank I being depressed thekeys of key bank II are released for depression.

As a single key tip 24 (Fig. l) on connecting link 22 is used to depressthe related keys in the two key banks, the pressure on the key tip willfirst cause the associated key 20 to be depressed, which act allows theassociated key 2| to be depressed on continued pressure being applied.By making each key 2| a release key for the machine, in any well knownmanner, the machine with which such interlocked key banks are associatedcannot be operated until the two selected and related keys are depressedin a certain sequence.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirablyadapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form orembodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment invarious forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described having two banks of operablekeys, the combination of means to join two keys of the same value inadjacent banks so as to be operable in a single manual movement; andinterlocking means between the keys so joined including a locking meansfor the keys of one bank and a locking means removing means operated bythe keys of the other bank whereby said keys in said other bank must beoperated before the keys in said one bank are released for operation andthe joined keys are caused to be operated in an invariable sequence.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a first keybank having a plurality of keys; a member movable when any key of saidfirst bank is depressed; a second key bank having a plurality of keys; amember normally blocking any key of said second bank from beingdepressed but movable to an out-of-blocking relation with the keys insaid second bank; means connecting the members so that when the memberassociated with the first bank of keys is moved by its related keys, theblocking member will also be moved so as to allow any key of the secondbank to be depressed; and means to de-v press a key in each bank with asingle movement.

3. In a machine of the class described having two banks of keys,corresponding keys in each of the banks forming pairs of likesignificance, the combination of a plurality of bridging means, one foreach pair of keys and each bridging means having one end pivoted to itsrelated key in one bank and its other end engaging its related key inthe other bank so that upon the single manual depression of a bridgingmeans a key in each bank will be depressed; means normally in positionto lock the keys of said other bank against depression; and meansoperated by the keys of said one bank for moving said locking means tounlocking position, whereby upon the depression of a bridging member,its related key in said one bank will operate and remove the lockingmeans for its related key in said other bank after which the key in saidother bank will operate thus causing the two keys of like significanceto be operated in a predetermined sequence'upon the single depression ofa bridging member.

HELMUT GELLER.

